The
Woozle effect, also known as
evidence by citation,
[1] or a
woozle, is when a weak or unsupported study or claim is widely cited, giving it an unearned patina of respectability and common wisdom. Frequent citation of such publications lacking evidence can mislead individuals, groups, and the public: the result can become
urban myths and
factoids.
[2] The Woozle effect is not limited to the public; it affects scholars in academia too, especially when
replication studies are not performed and no one notices that a key claim was never well-supported in its original publication, yet new research is built off its assumptions.
The Woozle effect is somewhat similar to
circular reporting in journalism, where someone makes a wild claim, a journalist unthinkingly accepts it and republishes it not realizing its dubious origins, and other journalists and the public continue to repeat and duplicate the unsupported claim.